Todd Grantham is a Dawg

It is now official and barring a Glenn Mason about-face, Todd Grantham will be our new defensive coordinator. From what I have read, it appears he is a hard-nosed teacher who gets results. In Dallas, his defensive linemen have appreciably raised their level of play. You can read all about his defensive units and their results over the past several years at the link provided.

He has played and coached under Frank Beamer and Bud Foster and also coached under Nick Saban. In my view, Beamer and Saban are the two coaches in the college game with the most impressive defensive philosophies and results. (Charlie Strong gets a nod as well. Monte Kiffin too, but he has only done the college thing recently to help out little Laney.) To learn from Beamer and Saban is about the best preparation one can get. Now it is Grantham time to make his mark on the college game. GATA CTG!

DC Search Over?

It is being reported that Todd Grantham is expected to sign a 3 year deal to be the Dawgs new defensive coordinator. This sounds reliable, but I will wait until I hear it from Coach Richt and/or Coach Grantham before I accept it as dried ink.

For the record... I think this is as good a hire as Kirby Smart or Tim DeRuyter. All three look great on paper, so I have high hopes if Grantham indeed signs the deal.

Runaway Lane

With regard to the Lane Kiffin affair: Res Ipsa Loquitur - it speaks for itself. But, this thing is perfect for song...

Runaway Lane

This is perfect.

Like the Energizer Bunny, the DC search is still going... still going

So Kirby Smart stays at Bama. Ok. If he doesn't want to come to UGA then, by default, he is not the man for the job. Who then?

It seems that Bloggers, Tweeters and Venters are focused on three guys and a ghost. Todd Grantham in Dallas, Travis Jones in New Orleans, Tim DeRuyter at Air Force and the Ghost of Erk Russell. I am not sure if folks are looking at Travis to be DC or on the new staff as a position coach. Either way, he is well-respected and would be a great addition.

I think my favorite from this group may be Tim DeRuyter. Check this out:

Against Navy's triple option (hello PJ) - held them to 209 total yards and lowest point total of the season at 13 in regulation.

Against Utah's spread (hello Urban Meyer) - held them to their lowest scoring output of the season at 16 in regulation.

(Both of the above games went into OT so I didn't count the 10 points allowed in OT)

Against Houston's air show (hello 5600 passing yards) - held them to lowest scoring output of the season at 20.

Also held TCU to their third lowest scoring output at 20.

Air Force played some pretty potent offenses of all styles and held their own with service academy defenders. This guy knows what he is doing. He is smart and he is a service academy grad - which earns extra points at the HDD Blog.

This is from the USAFA Athletic Dept. Bio:
All told, DeRuyter has 18 years of coaching experience, all at the NCAA Division I-A level, and has coached in nine bowl games. He has experience with both 4-3 and 3-4 defensive schemes and in pressure, attack-style philosophies. DeRuyter's defenses have traditionally been ranked among the national leaders during his 18-year coaching career at three different I-A schools.

And there is this from the The Gazette in CO. Springs:
DeRuyter’s defensive unit was among the nation’s best in 2009. The Falcons finished the season ranked 10th in scoring defense and 11th in total defense. And the unit’s performance in the Armed Forces Bowl against Houston was a masterpiece. The Falcons limited the nation’s top-ranked passing offense to a season-low 222 yards through the air and picked off quarterback Case Keenum six times.

DeRuyter earned $205,000 in 2009. He will be a head coach one day. But perhaps a 4 or 5 year stint at a Top 10 program will be the perfect stepping stone.

Your thoughts?

Georgia's New Defensive Coordinator will be...

I have not yet opined in this space regarding our DC search. A month ago, I had no idea who we would get. Now, after filtering the scant public information bouncing around and trying to find credibility in the glut of rumors, I am ready to commit. At the time of this writing (Sat afternoon 1/10) I believe Kirby Smart will be our next DC. I am not alone in this thinking and this well-reasoned article by Dawgs BUI reflects my sentiments perfectly.

I have heard the chorus of reasons why we are too ambitious in our hope that Kirby will come to UGA. But, Dawgs BUI makes the case that this is not a basic lateral move. I would add that padding an extra $100-200k on your compensation is not "lateral." If UGA can offer Kirby a contract worth more than $600k, that is a compelling reason to come back to his alma mater. You know what else, I knew Kirby when he played at Georgia and he was not just a brilliant All SEC safety and a great student, he was a Bred-in-the-Bone Bulldog who loved UGA and being a Dawg. That matters. You don't just turn that off when you graduate. Trust me, Kirby wants to see the Dawgs win the SEC East every year and if he wasn't coaching against the Dawgs, he would want them to win the SEC every year. I believe Kirby would want to come back to UGA and help lift us to our first National Championship since he was a little boy.

Finally, I think the largest point to consider is one succinctly made by Dawgs BUI and that is for Kirby to move out from under the Saban shadow to prove that he can build and run a great defense without an overlord. There is no doubt that UGA can bring in top flight defensive talent and Kirby knows he can coach them up and get the most out of them. That is what we have been missing. When Coach Richt announces Kirby Smart as our next Defensive Coordinator, we will all expect an immediate dividend in 2010 and I am confident we will get it.

Go DAWGS! GATK (Get After That Kirby)

Final Mumme Poll Ballot

Top Five

• Alabama
• Florida
• Boise State
• Texas
• Ohio State

Next Seven

• TCU
• Iowa
• Penn State
• Cincinnati
• Oregon
• Virginia Tech
• Nebraska

Who did I leave out that has you angry?